Aldrea's Trip
by Suuki-Aldrea
Summary: Inuyasha and company meet Aldrea and end up traveling through time. This is the prequel to Agarwen's fic. Rating uped for language. Is mostly IYLotR & a little DBZ which is AU. Other shows & stuff too, though not so much. Ch. 10 up!
1. Going Away

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are Aldrea and the plot. The rest belong to their respective owners.**

**A/N: Just finished revising this ch. Enjoy and review!

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**Aldrea's Trip

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**Chapter I: Going Away**

It was a quiet spring afternoon. The whispering of the trees, the soft creak of a rocking chair, and the silent slap-slap of a blue floral patterned dress against a leg were the only things that broke the silence. Aldrea sighed with content as she rocked back and forth on her chair in the screened porch. Life was perfect; she had a loving husband, a beautiful son, and the space-time continuum was, for once, in order. (Time machines had been discovered during the last century, distorting time and space.) Nothing could become any better than what it was now.

"Mom!"

_Well, maybe it could. _Aldrea stood up from her seat on the screened porch. "What is it, dear?"

A young child with tear filled brown eyes, untidy black hair, and wearing a white t-shirt and black pants, ran up to the house and onto the porch. He dropped his ancient cloth, nonmetal backpack, and latched on to Aldrea's legs. "Mom, the kids on the hover bus were teasing me again!" He then burst into more tears.

"What am I going to do with you?" Aldrea scolded, "You are thirty six years old and it is a one hour flight from the hover stop to our house. Just because you inherited the way my body ages Gohan, it does not mean you may act like the seven year old body you have."

Gohan sniffed, looked down, and then muttered something inaudible.

"What was that?"

"I said, yes mother."

"Good. By the way, what were the children teasing you about?" Aldrea put an arm around Gohan and guided him off the screened porch.

"About my tail," said Gohan as Aldrea closed the door with her tail. She looked sharply at Gohan and he cringed.

Aldrea laughed gleefully, dispelling Gohan's fears. "Well, if you had only kept your tail closely furled around your waist, they would not have seen it," she explained as she brushed a wisp of her brown hair that had fallen from the French braid she wore, which reached down to her ankles, out of her hazel eyes.

Gohan pouted, but when Aldrea glared at him he quickly ceased, then sat beneath one of the nearby trees.

"I had fallen asleep after a set of taxing questions."

"What questions?" Aldrea retorted. _If anyone receives information about me . . . no, I cannot let it happen again. I will not be caged and displayed as a circus' side show for a second time._

"Don't worry. It wasn't anything important. Just some questions like, why do you live in the middle of the forest; why does your house have such an ancient design; is it true your mom wears rags; and other various questions about silly rumors concerning us."

Aldrea visibly relaxed as Gohan lazily rose, retrieving his backpack from the porch, and brought out his holographic homework organizer. Aldrea gave a sharp, inhaled gasp. "I thought I had made it clear that you werenot tobring that home!" she hissed. "You know metal drains my power!"

Gohan sat down beside her again and calmly explained that the holographic device, which he had made himself, was entirely of wood; he had simply painted it with a metallic paint. "After all, it would be suspicious for a seven year old kid to carry around a complex machine made of an 'endangered' species of oak."

Aldrea thought for a moment, and then agreed that it _would_ look extremely suspicious. She thought about how much people bothered them because they were so different, and then she had an idea. "Gohan," Aldrea said while standing up, "please go and retrieve your father Goku while I see to a few things."

Gohan gave his mother a puzzled look, shrugged his shoulders, andemerged from his sitting position.

"I believe Goku is at the training site," continued Aldrea. "It is approximately 100 meters to the north and you will need to fly for the path disappeared 50 years ago."

Gohan acknowledged Aldrea with a simple nod, charged up his ki (spiritual energy), and flew off to the training site.

Aldrea stood still for the single moment Gohan was visible, then turned and strode towards the house. /Plants/ she began in thought speak/could you erect the barricades near the Beware signs? I shall be leaving for a short time./

/Certainly./ Replied the trees and plants. /Giving you a part human body doesn't begin to cover the amount of help you've given us./

/Thank you./ Aldrea smiled. _Now I only have the house to take care of.

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**Tokyo, Japan - 1997

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"Kagome!" shouted a small boy with black hair and brown eyes, "Your boyfriend's here!"

A haggard looking fifteen year old girl, wearing a green and white Japanese middle school uniform, appeared at the top of the stairs to shout at her pajama clad brother. This was Higurashi Kagome. "Sota, how many times must I tell you: Inuyasha is NOT my boyfriend?" Kagome dragged an overstuffed pink backpack behind her as she beganto descendthe stairs.

A silver haired, golden-eyed teenager with white dog-ears on top of his head, who waswearing a red kimono shirt and pants, was waiting impatiently at the foot of the stairs for the fifteen-year old Kagome. "Come on wench! I haven't got all day ya know!" the teenager shouted rudely.

Kagome yelled back at him, her black hair bristling with anger. "My name's Kagome, Inuyasha! Use it!"

Inuyasha just folded his arms and turned his head away with his nose in the air. This made Kagome really mad.

"OSUWARI!"

The necklace that Inuyasha wore, which was made of black glass beads and youkai fangs,glowed red andpulled himface first into the ground. This action was fallowed by aloud thud. "Hey! What'd ya do that for?"

"Well,because you're an obnoxious jerk. Now let's go Inuyasha."

They left Kagome's house and proceeded towards the shrine that was part of her mother and grandfather's house. It held the Bone Eater's well, which connected Kagome's time with Inuyasha's. Inuyasha picked up Kagome, backpack and all, and jumped into the well, traveling back in time to Japan's Feudal Era.


	2. Getting Ready

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any other characters other than Aldrea. And the plot to this fanfic. Oh, and the cat Sheila, though I personally don't own a cat.**

**A/N: Would appreciate reviews.

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**Chapter II: Getting Ready**

Inuyasha jumped up out of the vine covered well and set Kagome gently on the ground. The scenery surrounding the well had changed drastically. Where once there was the Higurashi Shrine, there now was a grass filled clearing in the middle of a forest oflofty trees.

Out of the blue, a small tan blur flew into Kagome's arms with a cry of joy. Kagome laughed as she staggered back from the force of the loving tackle and looked down to what was now identified as a small creature with a bushy tan tail. The little figure was a young male kitsune, or fox demon, with red-brown hair and cute green eyes. He wore a green leaf patterned vest, brown overalls, and had adorable little fox feet. He squealed delightfully as Kagome pulled a lollipop out of her pack with a flourish.

"Here's a little gift for you Shippou."

"Thanks Kagome!" Shippou said gaily as he took the lollipop from Kagome and proceeded tostrip offthe wrapper. Asthepupdid this two more people walked out of the forest and into the clearing. One was a young woman with long, strait, black hair who was wearing a green and white dress, and had a large boomerang slung across her back. She held a bundle that carried a katana and a black fighting outfit for youkai exterminating, and on her shoulder sat a small tan cat with two tails, each sporting black rings near the tip, and red eyes.

The otherindividual was a young monk who wore dark purple and black robes; light blue prayer beads were wrapped around his right hand, and as he walked the staff which he held would make a chiming sound. His hair was black and hekept it in a short ponytail. Both of the newcomers had dark brown eyes, and they greeted Kagome with large smiles.

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome shouted, "It's so great to see you again!"

"It is good to see you as well, Kagome." Replied Sango as her cat mewed in agreement and lept from her owner's shoulder to rub against Kagome's leg.

Kagome kneeled down to pet the fire cat demon. "I missed you too, Kirara."

Shippou looked intently at Kagome with wide eyes. "You won't leave us for that long ever again. Right, Kagome?"

"That's right, Shippou. Two weeks is far too long to be away from you guys."

"If I might make a suggestion," ventured Miroku, "Kaede-dono would be very pleased to see you, Kagome-dono."

"Well," replied Kagome hesitantly. "I was hoping to start searching for the Shikon no Tama (Jewel of Four souls) shards right away."

Inuyasha stared at Kagome with an incredulous expression plastered across his face.

"What? Can't I be ready to leave without delay for once in my life?"

Inuyasha quickly recovered and whipped his head to face the opposite direction. "Feh! Never mind!"

Miroku shook his head. "Oh well. We shall not be able to accompany you on such short notice, but we will catch up with you in the next town over."

"Oh, okay. Wait! Before I forget, I have something for you Sango." Kagome began searching her backpack for something as Sangogazed on with a puzzled expression. "Aha! Found it!" She pulled out a large, heavy book andgave it to Sango.

"Oh, thank you. What is it?"

"It's _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_! I thought you might like it."

Sango bowed to Kagome, gratefully accepting her gift. "You and Inuyasha should be going now if you wish to reach the next village in good time."

"You're right!" Kagomerotated to faceInuyasha. "Let's go!" she chirped with cheer.

Inuyasha grumbled, picked up Kagome's backpack, turned around, and beganstalking away followed by an unbearably chipper Kagome.

"See ya later guys!" Kagome shouted as she ran to catch up with the swiftly movingInuyasha.

Before longKagome was hiking along in front while Inuyasha lagged behind. Inuyasha wasgrumbling about a 'stupid wench' or something of the sort, while tugging at the necklace he wore. When he tried to remove it, all it did was shine red and would not go past his chin.

Kagome unexpectedly came to a dead halt and Inuyasha almost collided with her.

"Watch where ya going wench!" he began, but never finished. The reason being was that right in front of them a strange portal had just opened. At thatpoint three people walked out; a woman, man, and child.

"Hi!"

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Aldrea just couldn'tcomprehend it. Every single time she tried to leave, the vampires alwaysinitiated the same argument. 

"When will we get fresh blood?"

"Yeah, I'm tired of those blood donations!"

Aldrea, instead of turning into her true form (which she usually did), and towering over them until they agreed with her, simply threw her hands into the air and gave in. She was toojoyful to care about muchat that moment in time. "Alright, you may kill any person who survives the wolves and plants."

"But hardly anyone makes it that far!" whined a vampire child, "No one bothers to try anymore. Can't we go hunting?"

"Fine, as long as you make sure you kill them properly before you eat. I do not wish to be responsible for any more vampires. The blood donation society is already becoming too cautious."

"Hurray! Can we all go at once?"

"Most definitely _not_; two vampires at one time is fine, buttwenty-eight moreis out of the question."

An elderly man, who had been a vampire for only two years, stepped forward. "Why don't we go out fifteen at a time and pretend we're a gang?"

Aldrea turned to him, her temper begining to wear thin, and stated simply that gangs don't have sixty-seven year old men tagging along; besides the fact that gangs are easier to become captured by the police. "You may only hunt in pairs each night and are allowed to kill one person each. I know it is not much, so you must share."

"Yes ma'am."

Aldrea began to walk out of the basement when she remembered something, stopped, andtilted her head to the side, revealing a twisted smirk. "Oh, and by the way, when you are finished with the bodies, the wolves are patrolling the forest borders during the day. They shall be hungry." After saying her bit, Aldrea walked out and began looking for the black cat Sheila whotook residencein her house. Aldrea found her loungingon the windowsill, taking a small nap. She was an all black cat, except for her two front paws, which were white. "Sheila, I need to talk with you."

The cat glanced at her, then stood up and stretched. "You're leaving, aren't you." replied Sheila while staring in nonchalance at her claws. "It's about time too. Nothing interesting has happened to me since I was a kitten."

"You cannot come with me this time. I need you to watch the house while I am away."

Now, anyone listening to their conversation would just hear cat noises and a person talking to her self. Aldrea canspeak all languages at once by broadcasting her thoughts. It is part of the curse which science had bestowed upon her.

"Sheila, I need you to stay!"

Sheila just looked away and acted as indifferent as only a cat can.

Aldrea was beginning to lose control of her temper. She covered her ears; grasping the sides of her head, she fell to her knees, flaring up her ki. Sheila froze in the middle of idly washing her paws and began to tremble, knowing what was about to take place.

Aldrea then rose slowly, and with a deadly gleam in her eyes, turned towards Sheila. "You shall stay." Aldrea's voice was unnaturally calm and laced with malace.

Sheila nodded her head once and tore away from Aldrea's soul piercing gaze, leaping from the windowsill onto the floor. She berated herself for even _thinking _about going against Aldrea's wishes.

Aldrea watched Sheila leave, then her eyes softened and she collapsed; sweat ran down her nose to create a salty pond between hertrembling hands. She inhaled deeply to calm herself. "I must keep a more efficient control over my anger," sheremarked ruefully to herself.Her eyes hardened again and a voice similar to hers, yet colder and oozing with evil spoke. "You can't last for long!" Aldrea's mouth warped into a horrific grin, and then she cackled. Her face contorted into an expression of pain and suffering as she battled inwardly with her anger. She stood still for a moment, and then put on a bright and cheerful face for her visit with the space-time continuum, her eyes the only thing betrayingher feelings ofsadness and exhaustion.


	3. Hello Japan

**Disclaimer:** **I only own Aldrea and the story idea and plot. Nothing else, unfortunately.**

**A/N :** **Hope you like it. I should be able to put out a chapter at least twice a month or earlier. Please R&R!

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**Chapter III : Hello Japan**

Gohan found the training site, which was a huge scarred clearing, and, without displacing a grain of dirt, landed in one of the gigantic craters scattering the area. "Father, where are you?" Gohan scaled the walls of the crater,surveying the landscape as he shouted at intervals.

"Ka me ha me haa!"

A burst ofyellow kiappeared seemingly out of thin air and came rushing like a freight train towards Gohan, who barely managed to dodge it. He threw himself to the side and skidded across the ground, coming to a halt a few meters away.

"You always need to be on your toes, Gohan."

Gohan swiveled his eyes upward to see a man who looked like an older version of himself, hovering above his head, smiling, and wearing a loose fitting orange training outfit and black boots. "I'm sorry dad."

The manGohan had calledGoku descended and landed in front of Gohan. "It's okay; just try to pay more attention to your ki senses. Now what brings you here?"

"Mother wanted me to come and get you for something," Gohan explained. "I don't know why. Her thought speech can easily reach you here."

Goku nodded, turned his back to Gohan, and leapt into the air.

"Wait for me dad!" yelled Gohan, quickly flying after his father.

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"Japan! Japan!" Goku and Gohan were screaming and jumping up and down for joy in front of a portal that was opened by their house. 

"I get to see my homeland," Goku suddenly yelled.

"I finally get to go somewhere with you guys," Gohan shouted immediately afterwards.

Aldrea laughed at their antics. "Alright you two; settle down, pack your things, and then we shall leave."

The two giddy boys rushed into the giant house to collect their things for the trip.

Aldrea stayed stationary and brought out her old, faded brown leather satchel, which she never left her home without. She had packed a couple of identical dresses, all of them pink with white flowers, similar to the blue dress she was wearing at that moment, and checked to make sure she had enough meat, vegetables, and anything else she might need while abroad, all safely contained in clearly marked capsules. Satisfied, Aldrea peeled off her dress; underneath she was wearing her tattered beige sleeveless top and skirt from her first transformation into a bloodthirsty monster.

Goku and Gohan soon came running up with their respective bundles, which also contained a few capsules, ready to go. Aldrea made a last check of the animal and plant defenses with her mind, and then followed the impatient Gohan and Goku through the waiting portal.

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"Who the fuck are you?" exclaimed Inuyasha. 

The gajin (American/foriegn) woman simply frowned disapprovingly, but the black haired man quickly and cheerfully spoke up. "I'm Goku and this is my son, Gohan," he placed an arm around the child, "and this is my wife, Aldrea." The man, now known as Goku, said while setting his hand delicately upon the gajin woman's shoulder.

"Inuyasha," Kagome quickly whispered behind her hand, "they have some Shikon shards."

Inuyasha's ears twitched twice to show that he had heard her statement.

Aldrea nodded a curt hello and turned back towards the portal, conversing with the continuum using thought speak, and studying the portal in depth, combing over every inch.

"Um, I'm Kagome, and this is Inuyasha," Kagome said, gesturing to the half demon beside her whose eyes were still as large as saucepans.

"It's very nice to meet you." Goku extended his hand to shake Inuyasha's hand, but Inuyasha growled and took a step backwards, his ears flattened to become flush against his head. Goku shrugged and bowed in the Western style to Kagome.

"Come here, Goku," Aldrea called.

Goku turned around and strode over with a quickgait to Aldrea.

"Goku, we have a _slight_ problem. We were not supposed to travel back in time as well as to Japan!"

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**A/N:** **Hope you liked it. This is the fixed version, as you can tell. The rest have been fixed, the second one the most, and ch. Four is almost ready to repost. R&R please!**


	4. Something Went Wrong

**Disclaimer:** **I own Aldrea and the plot. Nothing else.**

**A/N:** **Sorry about the wait. I have fixed chapter 3. I will have five up soon, I promise**.

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**Chapter IV: Something Went Wrong**

While Aldrea and Goku were discussing the problem with the space-time continuum, Gohan walked up to Inuyasha and tried to break the ice. "So, how ya doin'?"

"Feh."

"You have dog ears?"

"Humph."

"I don't have dog ears, but I have a monkey tail!" Gohan unfurled his tail from his waist and waved it from side to side.

"I wonder what would happen if I did... THIS!" Inuyasha lunged for Gohan's tail in anger.He was surprised when his hand held nothing but air.

"Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!"

Inuyasha crashed down to the ground three times and ended upin horrible pain.

Gohan, who had just appeared behind Inuyasha,watchedwith shock.

Kagome strolled around the large crater created by Inuyasha's painful visit with the ground, and knelt down to Gohan's height. "Hey little guy, how did you get a tail?"

Gohan looked up from the prone figure of Inuyasha, startled out of his trance by Kagome's voice. "Oh. I've had it ever since I was born. Ya see, I'm ahalf saiyian."

"How did you become ahalf saiyian and what is a 'saiyian'?"

"My dad's a full saiyin; only two came to Earth without trying to destroy it and lived, and my mom is a half saiyian."

Kagome blinked rapidly, contemplating Gohan's answer, and then smiled condensendingly(sp?). "Then why aren't you ¾ saiyian instead of ahalf one?"

Gohan shifted his eyes to the left and to the right, making sure no one was listening, and told Kagome that his mom wasn't born half saiyian, but full human.

Kagome paused thinking that Gohan hadn't really answered her question. His answer just served to give rise to more questions. "But, how did Aldrea become half saiyian?"

"I'm not allowed to tell anyone who can speak or think about it. Basicly nothing but a rock.My mom would lose her temper." Gohan shivered as he uttered his next words, "She has an evil side."

By now Inuyasha had enough time to recover from the headaches he had received, and was spitting the dirt out of his mouth. Upon hearing the word evil, he was suddenly interested in Gohan and Kagome's conversation. "What evil? Where? Is it Naraku?"

Kagome stared at himin shock. ". . .."

"I was just talking about my mom's evil side," explained Gohan, unperturbed by Inuyasha's interruption.

"Aldrea has an evil side?"

"Yep."

"Really? Is it dangerous?"

Kagome clenched her fists and teeth, and then glared at Inuyasha.

"What," he said, oblivious to how rude he was in joining a conversation uninvited.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said with a deadly calm, "we were just having a nice, in depth conversation, WHEN YOU BUTTED IN!"

"Um, K-Kagome?"

Gohan leaned towards Inuyasha. "You're going to get it now," he whispered. "I've seen an expression like that one before."

"Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, OSUWARI!" Kagome then spun around on her heel and stalked off towards Goku and Aldrea, intending to politely request to engage in their conversation instead. Gohan just sat down giggling, and watched Inuyasha curse his brains out.

"So, you mean that we were supposed to be traveling in the third dimension (space) only, and not, at the same time, in the fourth dimension (time)," inquired Goku for the tenth time during the conversation.

Aldrea pressed a forefinger from each hand to her temples in an exasperated way. "Yes Goku. That is _exactly_ what I am trying to explain."

"Oh." Goku paused. "Um . . . what do we do now?"

Kagome, who had just approached, had heard Goku's question. "You could stay with us," she burst out impulsively, quickly apologizing afterwards.She couldn't let them leave without at least _trying_ to get the Shikon shards they were carrying.

Aldrea smiled at Kagome, thanking her for her concern. "But there must be some other reason for your invitation besides your generosity."

Kagome shook her head trying her best to look innocent, despite the fact that she wasn't.

Aldrea peered into Kagome's eyes and Kagome felt as if her mind was being searched. Aldrea smiled and reached into her satchel, bringing out twenty Shikon jewel shards.

"How . . . How did you know?" Kagome gasped.

"I read your mind. Here you are." Aldrea handed Kagome the jewel shards and closed her satchel.

Kagome purified the shards and then put them into a small glass jar with the other pieces she had collected.

"I would still be more than grateful to travel with Inuyasha and yourself, Kagome. I do not know my way around this time period."

"Sure."

Just then Gohan came speeding by, closely followed by a pissed off Inuyasha. Gohan laughed and stuck his tongue out at the enraged half demon.

"Come back here you little brat!"

"Nah, nah, nah, you can't catch me!" Gohan applied an extra burst of speed, leaving Inuyasha choking on his dust.

"Gohan!" Aldrea shouted, "Come here this instant!"

Gohan skidded to a halt, creating a shallow ditch, and walked sheepishly back to Aldrea. "Yes, Mother?"

Aldrea reprimanded her son for not acting his age, but Goku interrupted her. "Let him have his fun. Once he goes back to school he'll start to grow and he won't be able to enjoy his childhood."

"Very well, but you are rescuing him, should he stumble into any type of trouble." She turned back to Gohan. "Now, you may leave and play, but do not willingly put yourself into danger, or I shall be _very_ angry."

Gohan, giddy with joy, jumped up and flew off in search of someone to play with; someone who looked his age.

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**A/N: How is it? Don't worry. I haven't disappeared. R&R PLEASE!**


	5. The Rest of the Gang

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for Aldrea and the plot line to this story. Arigatou.**

**A/N: Hey, sorry about the long wait, but I've been lazy over the past year.**

**Aldrea: You are finally typing this chapter! This calls for a celebration.**

**Suuki: I would settle for you not appearing in the reviews I write.**

**Aldrea: That can be done.**

**Suuki: Good. Enjoy the story!

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**Chapter V: The Rest of the Gang**

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou waved goodbye to Inuyasha and Kagome, and headed in the opposite direction towards the village, in order to prepare for their journey. When they had reached the sacred Go-shinboku (God tree), Shippou, still with his lollipop, asked Sango and Miroku if he and Kirara could in the clearing.

"I don't know…" said Sango.

"Oh, let them have their fun, Sango," Miroku replied without care.

"Well, alright. But stay close to the Go-shinboku. We'll be back in a while to follow Inuyasha and Kagome."

Shippou jumped into the air with glee and Kirara let Sango know that she'd protect Shippou with a nod of her head. The two demons bounded off, played a friendly game of wrestling, and after a short amount of time they found a small clearing near the Go-shinboku, just perfect for a small nap. Kirara changed into her other form, which was just a larger version of herself with red flames surrounding her paws and at the tip of her two tails, and lay down. Shippou hopped over and snuggled up against Kirara's warm belly, falling asleep almost instantly later.

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An hour later Gohan flew over the clearing and spotted the two sleeping demons. He went down and hovered a few feet above them, studying them carefully. 

Shippou yawned, stretched, and slowly opened his eyes halfway. As he spotted Gohan, his eyes snapped wide open and his mind froze, unable to decide whether the boy floating above him was friend or foe.His mind then decided that he should yelp and hide behind the nearest thing, which happened to be Kirara. She woke up as Shippou yelped and stood protectively over the young kit, determined not to let anything happen to him.

"Wh-who are you?" Shippou was finally able to stutter.

Gohan landed softly in front of the demons, holding his hand out with his palm facing upwards in a gesture of peace. "I'm Gohan. What's your name?"

Shippou stared at him for a moment before speaking, "My name's Shippou. I'm a kitsune."

Gohan tilted his head to the side and asked Shippou if he wanted to play the game of tag.

"What's … tag?"

Gohan scratched his head and replied that he wasn't entirely sure himself, "I remember the kids at my school would shout 'Tag!' then they would run away from one person who would hit them lightly. After someone is 'tagged', that person would go and try to tag a different person."

"Oh."

Shippou and Gohan stood staring at each other for a moment.

"Um," Gohan started to say, shifting nervously, "how about we play hide 'n seek instead?"

Shippou perked up a bit. "Ok!"

Gohan smiled with relief.

"What's hide 'n seek?"

Gohan sighed. _This is going to take a while.

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Having finished preparing for their trip, Sango and Miroku were relaxing at the edge of the village.

"Sango, don't you think Shippou and Kirara have been playing slightly too long?"

Sango glanced up from her new book she was currently engrossed in, and judged the position of the sun. "You're right Miroku. I've just been so busy reading this 'scroll' Kagome gave me. Shakespeare is a very interesting writer." She closed the book with an impatient snap and turned towards Miroku very slowly."By the way. GET. YOUR. HAND. OFF. MY. BUTT!" Sango then brought out her Hiraikotsu and hit Miroku over the head. "Right," she stated as she stood up, "let's go."

They started off towards the forest with Miroku in the lead using his staff as a walking stick. Sango was behind him, her hand firmly grasped her Hiraikotsu just incase Miroku decide to get too close.

Once they reached the fringes of the forest, Sango began to call for Kirara, while Miroku shouted for Shippou.

After they had searched for half an hour, they began to really worry. Sango began to panic and was calling "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" to which Miroku replied while staring at her lustfully, "Here foxy, foxy, foxy." Sango turned beet red and hit Miroku over the head again.

Finally Kirara approached Sango, purring with delight.

"Kirara! You had me worried." Sango cried as she picked her up.

A strange looking leaf with a bushy tail came bouncing along, and then it popped into Shippou. "Hey guys! I'm playing hide 'n seek!"

Miroku and Sango gave Shippou puzzled looks.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Shippou quickly dived into a bush, hiding himself. "Quick! Hide you guys or he'll find me!"

Sango, Miroku, and Kirara quietly hid themselves behind some bushes close to them.

A few minuets later, someone approached them. He stopped in front of them and glanced from side to side stealthily. "Hmm, I wonder where he could be." The strange boy walked over to the bushes across from Sango, Miroku, and Kirara. He pretended not to notice the bushy tail that was in plain view. "Gotcha!" he yelled while lunging at the bush.

Sango and Miroku shot up from their hiding place, ready to jump to the rescue. To their surprise, the two children began to laugh and tumble around on the ground.

"Okay Gohan," Shippou laughed, "you found me!"

Miroku, recovering from his shock first, stepped forward and cleared his throat in a manner that commanded attention. "Excuse me, uh, Gohan, but Shippou must return to the village with us now. Kaede-dono is expecting us to protect the village while Kagome and Inuyasha are gone."

Shippou frowned and jumped onto Sango's head, looking down into her eyes. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes, you know how-"

A warrior, bleeding heavily from his stomach, chose this time to smash through the bushes, effectively interrupting Sango. "Please… village… under… attack…" He then collapsed and burst into flames, leaving behind a charred mass of flesh.

Miroku examined the man carefully, and then his grave face turned to Sango. "He isn't from Kaede's village, but he was being controlled. Naraku has set a trap for us and we must go."

"Shippou," Sango said with sadness in her eyes, "you understand that we must step knowingly into a trap set for us in order to fight Naraku, right?"

Shippou looked away disappointedly and sighed. "I understand."

Kirara transformed and allowed Miroku, Sango, and Shippou to climb onto her back, then took to the air.

"Bye Shippou!" Gohan shouted as he waved to the fast fading form of Kirara, who was following the dead warrior's scent to its village. "Maybe we could play later!"

"I'll meet you at this spot tomorrow if I can!" Shippou shouted into the breeze, his voice fading into a whisper, as Gohan watched.

Gohan stared at them for a moment, then left, flying back to the others. "I wonder if mom should know about this?" he said to himself as he put on another burst of speed in order to reach the others faster.

* * *

Aldrea was busy cooking meat wrapped in banana leave and tending to the fire she had made not too long ago. Kagome had brought out some instant Ramen to cook for lunch as well. 

Soon the leaves over the fire were beginning to brown, signifying that the meat was done cooking, and Aldrea took it off the fire, opened the leaves and offered some of the meat to Kagome. "Here, eat some deer meat Kagome. It is quite delicious."

Kagome stared at the open leaf Aldrea held, then turned away with a disgusted look on her face. "How could you eat such a cute animal?"

Inuyasha took the offered leaf from Aldrea. "It's easy. All you do is this. "He then exposed the meat and inhaled it like a vacuum cleaner.

"I'll have some too Aldrea," said Goku. He took another leaf from Aldrea's hand and mixed it with the instant Ramen Kagome had just supplied him with, eating like there was no tomorrow.

"Please Kagome," urged Aldrea, "just take a small bite."

Kagome closed her eyes and her aura emanated a sense of deep consideration. "Well, alright. Are you _sure_ it's okay to eat such a cute creature?" she asked before she took a bite.

"Of course, puppies are also especially delicious."

Kagome turned a curious shade of green and Inuyasha stopped eating in order to stare at Aldrea. Goku was the only one who didn't react in the slightest bit.

Aldrea burst into laughter at the sight of their faces. "It is alright. I was only jesting!"

Kagome tried some of the meat while glaring at Aldrea from the corner of her eyes. As soon as the meat passed her lips she stopped glaring. "This-this is delicious!"

Aldrea smiled and thanked her for the compliment. Suddenly her expression turned to one of concern and she stood up from her position on the ground.

"What is it?" Goku asked in a concerned manner, his food temporarily forgotten.

"Something is very wrong."

Goku looked quizzically at Aldrea, and then tilted his head to the side as if listening to someone.

/Gohan, repeat what you have told Goku and I, to Kagome and Inuyasha. /

The two shikon seekers jumped to their feet after the sudden silence and began to look around with panic once Aldrea had spoken in their minds.

/All right mother. There is a village under attack and a Buddhist monk, a demon slayer, a cat demon, and a kitsune named Shippou, have all gone to help. I'm coming to show you the path to the village. /

"Inuyasha, we've got to help Sango and Miroku!" shouted Kagome as she jumped back up, standing over Inuyasha menacingly, who was still eating. "Come on! Quick!"

"Feh, alright already! Hold your horses, I'm eating!"

"OSUWARI!"

Inuyasha smashed face first into the ground, spilling his food.

"Now you're done! Let's go!"

Aldrea stood up, began to pack camp, and took a bucket to a nearby stream in order to put out the campfire.

"You can't leave till Gohan gets here," explained Goku. "He's the only one who knows the way to the village."

Kagome was disappointed and dropped down onto the log she was sitting on during lunch.

"See! We can't even leave yet! Feh. You made me waste my _entire_ lunch."

Aldrea was making a last check of the campsite, making sure that they had not left any litter, and covering up the traces of their camp, a habit she had acquired during her time travels, when Gohan arrived.

"Okay mom and dad, it's time to go."

Aldrea finished covering the last of the fire's ashes and turned to Inuyasha and Kagome. "Inuyasha, are you able to fly?"

"No, but I can jump really far."

"It will have to do." She turned to Goku, who was already standing up. "Are you ready?"

Goku smiled affectionately and nodded. "Alright Gohan, let's fly!"

Inuyasha knelt down and let Kagome climb onto his back. "Hold on tight!" Inuyasha took off, occasionally jumping into the air in order to follow the other three.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Oh, and in answer to one of my reviewers, yes I know about Lunar 2. In the next ch. there will be a character from Lunar and one from Lunar 2. Whoever gesses who the characters are will get a sneek peeck of the 6th chapter! Ja ne!**

**Aldrea: Namarie!**


	6. A Surprise for Naraku

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Aldrea and the plot. My friend owns Pai.**

**A/N: Wow, this is up fast… not really. I think it's a short chapter, and the two surprise characters don't appear until the 7th chapter! Gomen nasai! Anyway, here it is!

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**

(Author notes)

"Japanese"

/Thought speak/

'Thoughts'

* * *

**Chapter VI: A Surprise for Naraku**

"Kirara, land just outside the village."

Kirara did as Sango instructed and landed, kneeling down to let Miroku, Sango, and Shippou climb down from her back. Sango gasped as she surveyed the extent of damage done to the village. There was a raging fire that had formed a towering wall around the village and most of the huts were destroyed. It seemed that no one was left alive.

"Naraku, or one of his incarnations, must be near. I can feel a strong demonic aura." Miroku gripped his prayer beads around his right hand, preparing to release his Kazanna.

Sango, after recovering from her initial shock, took out Hiraikotsu and slid into a fighting stance.

"Ku ku ku ku ku. I see you've fallen for my trap."

A dark shape emerged from the wall of fire. It was clothed in a baboon pelt and was steadily advancing towards them.

"Naraku," they gasped while Kirara began to growl. Sango bounded up and threw her boomerang directly at him. "Hiraikotsu!" It sliced through Naraku's neck and Sango caught it just as a collection of vines shot out from Naraku.

"It's one of his puppets!" shouted Miroku as he began dodging the vines. "I should have known!"

Shippou jumped out in front of his friends and shouted, "Fox fire!" Blue flames shot from his outstretched palms, scorching some of the vines while his friends destroyed the rest of them.

In a fit of rage, Kirara flew and headed for the split body, destroying it with her teeth and claws. The fake Naraku then finally returned to its original state; a clay doll with a piece of Naraku's hair wrapped around it.

Miroku planted his staff among the shards of broken clay, staring determinedly at the dying wall of fire. "Show yourself, Naraku! Or are you too much of a coward," he shouted into the smoky air. The wall of fire had finally died down to a point where it was safe to enter the village. All of them were wary. The fake Naraku was too easily defeated.

The silence laid thick about the village as the victors approached, but it was shattered as a samurai warrior appeared with his sword drawn and charged the four companions.

All of them quickly dodged the samurai, which Sango then destroyed with a well aimed sword attack. They then readied themselves for an all-out attack.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The startled group scoured the area for the disembodied voice that sounded as if it came from all directions in the dark smoke.

A figure appeared in the distance, floating on a feather. It was a woman who wore a red and white kimono and had her black hair tied up in a tight bun. She flicked her wrist in anticipation, her fan snapping open and shut. As the woman leaped from the feather she gave a wicked grin, her red eyes glowing with feral joy. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the monk and demon slayer. What fun this will be."

"Kagura!" Miroku blurted out with loathing. He began to unwind the prayer beads around his Kazanna, but quickly resealed it as he heard the low humming of the dreaded Saimyosho. "Kuso, why did they have to appear now?"

Kagura glanced around, her face contorted into a contemplating feature. "Where is Inuyasha?" she demanded of the warriors, one cat and one kit, in front of her.

"We don't know," lied Sango, hoping against all hope that Kagura would believe her. No such luck.

Kagura scowled, bringing her fan up over her shoulder. "If that's the way you wish to talk," Kagura leaped high in to the sky, positioning herself above the quartet, "THEN DIE! Dance of the Dead!" (I would love the Japanese version of her attacks) As she shouted out her attack she waved her fan in a sweeping motion and an army of dead samurai rose up from the ground, each one carrying a deadly weapon.

Shippou hid quivering behind Kirara, whose paws were now blazing fiercely with red flames. "W-what do we do now?"

Miroku tightened the grip on his staff and his face held an expression of determination. "Well Shippou, the only thing we can do is to hold them off the best we can."

Kagura smirked, an evil glint in her eyes, and adjusted her fan. "Attack now, my army!"

* * *

/Gohan, are we there yet/ 

/We're almost there dad. Uh oh, look/

The three flying figures glanced up from the tracks they were following and spotted a thick column of black smoke ahead of them. Inuyasha had stopped in the branches of a tall tree.

Kagome cried out in a sudden panic. "I think there's a village burning!"

"I can smell one of Naraku's incarnations, so it has to be a village that's burning."

/You are correct Inuyasha. / Aldrea replied. /All the more reason to make haste. We may already be too late to rescue your friends. /

The group increased their pace and soon the village was in sight. They landed within the outskirts of the forest and charged out, their eyes were greeted by a horrible event taking place. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara were surrounded by samurai warriors who were slowly closing in on them, while Kagura was laughing triumphantly behind the army of the dead.

Inuyasha took a running leap, transformed the Tetsugaiga, and landed in front of his friends. "Kaze no Kizu!" he yelled as he brought his sword down in front of him. His attack cut through the army like a knife cuts through butter, forcing Kagura to retreat with sudden surprise.

Inuyasha had shown up so unexpectedly that Kagura didn't have enough time to erect her wind barrier. She was able to escape before she was turned to dust and fled to Naraku's temporary hiding place. It was a smoldering palace on the edge of the village; Naraku's pride wouldn't allow for anything smaller. Kagura approached Naraku, her ever defiant expression etched on her face.

"So, you have failed to destroy him, again. I am very disappointed in you Kagura."

Kagura grimaced as she knelt in front of the baboon clothed figure. "Forgive me Naraku-sama. I tried."

"You didn't try hard enough." Naraku held out his hand and a blood red orb materialized in the center of it. It was Kagura's heart. He then squeezed it, digging his claws into the heart, reveling in Kagura's writhing, shrieking pain. Naraku released his hold on her heart once he thought she had taken enough punishment, and it disappeared from his hand. "Pathetic creation, I shall dispose of the Inu-taichi myself." Naraku walked past the shaking, prostrate form of Kagura and out the door.

* * *

In the center of the now quiet battlefield, Aldrea, Goku and Gohan were introduced to the rest of the Inu-taichi by Kagome. 

Kagome began to point to each member as she named them. "That girl over there is Sango the demon slayer, and next to her is her pet Kirara. On Kirara's back is Shippou, and next to them is Miroku the monk."

Miroku was standing a foot away from Aldrea in a matter of seconds and already had her hands in his. "Will you bare my child?"

Aldrea's eyes flashed with a dangerous light, and she glared at Miroku with a gaze fierce enough to send a T-rex cowering under a rock, but that didn't compel him to let go of her hands or look away from her. "Are you positive that you wish to ask such a question?" she asked in a dangerous whisper.

Miroku nodded his head, which confirmed her suspicions.

Aldrea sighed. "Very well." Suddenly, a strange change took over Aldrea. Her eyes turned yellow with black slits for pupils; scales began to appear all over her skin; her nails lengthened and curved, becoming extensions of her bones. Her body lengthened and grew two extra legs; leather covered wings sprouted from her newly lengthened body; her ears grew long and moved to the top of her head. The last thing to change was her face, which bulged outward in to a snout.

The others gazed in shock at the creature before them. Aldrea had turned in to something unexplainable. Her head was that of a Raptor with horse ears on the top of her head. The head was attached to a human torso, the only part of her that had changed the least. Now it was covered in scales, like the rest of her body, and she had deadly curved claws on each of her fingers. Below her torso was the body of a horse with large bat wings folded against its back; the hind legs were that of a raptor's and there was a long lizard-like tail to end it all.

The hideous monster looked steadily at Miroku, and then thought spoke in order for everyone to 'hear'. /Would you still ask the same question to a monster/

Miroku replied that he would because she was beautiful in her other form. Goku began to grind his teeth and clench his fists. He was, for the first time in his entire life, jealous.

Aldrea let out a screeching laugh and a growling chuckle. She then looked deeply into Miroku's eyes, reading his mind. /You never give up, do you Miroku. /

"I see Kagome has informed you of my lecherous ways."

Aldrea let out a blast of air from her nostrils in a defeated way, and transformed back to her half human form. The rest of the Inu-taichi was too shocked to move or say anything. "I am already married, Miroku. My husband is Goku, who is currently directly behind you."

Miroku quickly spun around, apologizing profusely to the enraged saiyan.

"What you saw was my true form. I became this way due to a scientific research project gone horribly wrong. I was to test a type of medicine which would cure all forms of cancer, but the sample I was given had somehow been contaminated. It did cure the breast cancer I was suffering from, yet then it went after my DNA and permanently altered it. The only reason I have this demi-saiyan body is because the forest I live in gave it to me in return for my protection. Now I am bound to look after the forest and its creatures for eternity."

The others, sensing that Aldrea was here to help them, relaxed and told her that they understood her dilemma. Inuyasha just went on about how Aldrea should have told them earlier. A well said 'osuwari' stopped his ranting.

Sango then noticed something about Aldrea that wasn't there before. "What's that on your face?"

Everyone's attention was once again drawn to Aldrea, now focused on four scars on the right side (HER right) of her face. The one farthest from the center of her face ran slanted from where her ear met her cheek down to her jaw. The one closest to her nose ran next to the corner of her eye down to the corner of her lips.

Aldrea turned away. "It is not a subject I wish to dwell upon at this moment. All I shall say is that to be betrayed by one you consider a close friend is the most painful torture imaginable. I hid it from you so I would not have to relive the memory."

Kagome nodded with understanding. "Don't worry. We won't ask you to tell us about it."

Aldrea turned back and smiled. "Arigatou. We should continue our search."

"Finally," Inuyasha said obnoxiously. "I've been tryin' to get you guys moving for an hour!" Inuyasha then spotted an angry glare from Kagome. "Well, less than an hour."

By that time the fire around the village had spent itself and a black smoke covered the area in a thick blanket, obscuring the village from most senses.

"So," began Goku, trying to fill the empty air, "could you tell me more about this Naraku guy?"

Kagome glanced in Inuyasha's direction, worry evident in her eyes, and then began to tell the tale of Onigumo; his desire for the Shikon Jewel and the priestess Kikyo; Naraku's birth and the supposed betrayal between Inuyasha and Kikyo. She then went on to tell of Miroku's curse, Sango's brother, and of the almost completed jewel that Naraku held. Just as Kagome finished describing Naraku's current and known incarnations, she was interrupted by a shout from Inuyasha.

"There's someone up ahead, and they're headed our way!"

Everyone fell in to their battle positions; Goku, Aldrea, and Gohan drawing no weapons and instead shifting in to hand-to-hand combat stances. They all peered intently at the smoke, a figure soon taking shape, and prepared for a battle with Naraku or one of his puppets. But instead of a baboon clothed Naraku, a female cat demon appeared.

The demon had long silver-blue hair, golden eyes, silver cat ears, and white fox paws instead of feet. She wore a shirt similar to Aldrea's except for the fact that it was blood red and had one strap across her left shoulder. She had the same style and color of pants on as Inuyasha, and she looked to be 14 years old. (1)

Once Inuyasha and the cat demon saw each other they began to creep slowly round in a circle, neither one letting the other out of their sight, carefully studying their opponent.

Suddenly the cat demon came to a halt and smiled, dropping her wary stance. "So it _is _you Inuyasha-anchan!"

Inuyasha blinked in confusion before replying. "Pai, is that really you?"

"Well of course it is! Who'd you think it was, Naraku?"

"Yeah we did for a second there."

Aldrea cleared her throat, interrupting the siblings' little reunion. "Excuse me, but we must continue on if we are to capture Naraku."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" a voice from the shadows asked in a mocking tone.

All heads swiveled towards the sound and saw Naraku as the smoke began to thin, and each person readied for a hard battle.

"I'll take care of him!" an over eager Inuyasha cried as he raised his Tetsugaiga.

"No! Give me the Tetsugaiga," Pai yelled loudly, "and let ME finish him off!"

Miroku tried to step in and stop the fight, but he just got hit over the head instead.

Naraku watched the two bickering demons with interest. 'Hmm, I should bring Kanna with me. Inuyasha seems to have picked up a few more of his weakling _friends_.' With that decided, Naraku turned his back on his arguing enemies, retreating to his hideout in order to fetch Kanna.

* * *

"This isn't your battle," Inuyasha shouted. 

"I don't care! I'm gonna kill him," screamed Pai.

This had gone on for long enough, so Aldrea tapped Pai's shoulder while Goku tapped Inuyasha's. The two demons spun around simultaneously.

"He is gone!" the two saiyians shouted at the quarreling duo.

* * *

(1)Pai is 300, Inuyasha is 500, Shippou is 50, and Sesshomaru is 900. Just a little age background.

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**A/N: Tell me how you liked it! Tell me what needs fixin' and I'll fix it. Sorry about the wait. I kind of got tired of typing for long stretches. Ja ne and R&R!**


	7. Pai's Past

**Disclaimer: The only things I own in this story are the plot line and Aldrea. My friend Agarwen owns Pai and I am using her with Agarwen's permission. Don't sue! TT**

**A/N: Wow. Two chapters in the same month. A new personal record!**

**Aldrea: Agarwen wishes you to finish rewriting her 5th chapter.**

**Suuki: As soon as I'm done typing this.**

**Aldrea: She wants it finished tomorrow.**

**Suuki: Fine. Enjoy and REVIEW! Ja ne!**

**Aldrea: Namarie.

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**

"Japanese"

_thoughts_

(/flashback/)

(author notes)

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**Chapter VII: Pai's Past**

Inuyasha turned to Pai, fuming. "This is your entire fault!"

"My fault, you're the one who raised me!"

Kagome stared at Pai, shocked by her statement.

"Why the hell are you staring at me?" Pai screamed, red faced.

"Well, Inuyasha never told me he had a sister!"

"I forgot!" Inuyasha spat, interrupting whatever Pai was about to say. "I raised her because Sesshomaru wouldn't!"

"Oh," muttered Sango sarcastically, "he sure is compassionate." Inuyasha growled at her comment.

While everyone was involved in a shouting match, Shippou had recovered from the initial shock upon seeing Pai. "Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Shippou jumped for joy, then clamped onto Pai's leg like a bug clings to a blade of grass.

Pai looked at Shippou, a look of startled confusion on her face.

"Pai, is he your's?" Inuyasha stared at Pai accusingly as he spoke.

"Um, maybe," she answered with frustration. "I don't know! I have partial amnesia! I can only remember certain things."

Miroku glanced from Pai to Shippou, studying them both carefully. "Perhaps he is your son, Pai. You both have paws instead of feet, the same colored eyes, and you even have the same shaped noses!"

"I suppose you're right. I'll just have to ask Ruby and Nall about this." Pai put two fingers to her lips and let out a piercing whistle. Soon after the whistle had died on the wind, what appeared to be a small pink cat with feathered wings came flying up, followed by a young boy with dark tan skin; he had brown hair separated by a streak of white in the middle.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my two dragon friends, Ruby, the flying cat, and Nall, in his human form."

The two dragons bowed as their names were mentioned, though Ruby seemed a little ticked off about the 'flying cat' comment.

"They help me remember my past, since I've known them most of my life. Okay you two, is it true that this kitsune is my son?"

The two dragons took one look at Shippou and gave their verdict. "Yes, he is definitely your son," they said in chorus. Then Ruby continued, "Do you remember your husband?"

Pai's eyes glazed over as she nodded then began to tell her story as she relived it.

* * *

(/ "Take that scumbag!"

"AGGH!"

Pai leaped back and flexed her blood soaked claws. "Hiten," she ground out with contempt, "you're going to pay for betraying our friendship, you baka yaru!"

Hiten, the thunder demon Pai had just attacked, picked himself up from the dirt, and spat out some blood as his eyes bore into Pai like drills. "What did you just call me, dragon-cat?"

"You heard me," Pai taunted, "I called you a baka yaru because you are one!"

Hiten barred his teeth and shot towards Pai with lightning fast speed. His fist connected with her jaw, and she flew ten feet into the air only to land face first with a sickening thud. Pai began to slowly lift herself from the ground.

"Look out," Pai heard someone shout. She then felt something come towards her, and before she knew it, she was engulfed entirely and darkness consumed her.

* * *

When Pai awoke she found herself in a dimly lit cave, lying upon a makeshift bed of leaves.

"I see you're awake," said a voice to her left. Pai struggled to sit up, but was overcome by a wave of dizziness.

"Lie down," the voice gasped with sudden concern. The speaker stepped forward out of the shadows, but stopped short of revealing his face.

Pai obeyed him, the first time she had obeyed a stranger of her own free will. _Because anyway, _she thought to herself, _I'm not feeling very well. _However, Pai had enough strength to ask plenty of questions. "Where am I? How did I get here? What happened? Who are you? Why can't I remember how I was hurt? What are you?"

"Whoa, calm down," said the man as he chuckled. "Please, one question at a time." He gave a warm smile that Pai could vaguely see. "First of all, you are inside my home, a cave by a willow swamp. How you came to be here, I carried you; a strong blow from a ball of lightning is what caused you to black out. As for who and what I am, my name is Wickanoll and I'm a 249 year old kitsune."

Pai then answered him, saying that it was all very nice, and that she was the same age as him, but he left one question unanswered.

The fox demon thought for a moment. "What can you remember?"

"Well, I can remember everything about the fight, up until someone shouted 'look out'"

"That was me," stated Wickanoll. "You were hit from behind by one of Manten's lightning attacks."

"Why that little..." Pai snarled, raising herself slightly from her position. "Hiten was supposed to fight by himself!"

"Evil will never fight fair," Wickanoll sighed.

"Hiten isn't evil! He's just... obsessed with getting the shikon jewel." As Pai said this, having nothing better to do, she tried to pierce the shadows surrounding Wickanoll's face, but was somehow blocked by a dark mist. "Show your face Wickanoll."

"Call me Wick," he said. Wick took a step into the light, and Pai fell in love with him instantly. She loved his beautiful golden brown hair and tail, blue eyes, and strong, yet kind features.

* * *

The next day Pai was fully healed, but she pretended to still be injured, just to stay close to Wick. Wickanoll knew this, yet did nothing to betray that fact, for he had fallen deeply in love with Pai as well. After a month or two they had gathered enough courage to confess their love to one another, and were soon married.

* * *

One year after Inuyasha was pinned to the Go-Shinboku, which was unknown to Pai, Wickanoll and Pai had a half kitsune son who was also one-fourth blue fire cat demon, and one-fourth dragon. Pai and Wickanoll named the kit Shippou, and they lived together in peace for a long time.

A few days before Shippou's 50th birthday, Pai found some jewel shards and gave them to Wickanoll as a gift for agreeing to help teach Shippou kitsune magic, dragon abilities, and cat demon abilities. On Shippou's birthday they sensed that the thunder brothers were near, but each was in a different direction.

"Pai," said Wick as he stopped Shippou's training, "I'll go after Hiten and you can go after Manten."

"No way; I've gotten stronger since the last time we fought, and you have the jewel shards. Please let me take him."

Wick sighed and gave in to Pai's pleading gaze. They both told Shippou to stay in the cave, hidden, just in case something happened. Then they bid each other goodbye and left.

Once Pai found Hiten they battled like never before, Pai no longer blinded by rage, but keeping calm and collected. Because of this she had an advantage. They were trading blow for blow; kick for kick, yet Pai had the feeling that Hiten wasn't putting his heart into it. Her suspicions were confirmed as she blocked a kick to the face and delivered one of her own, which connected with a satisfying squelch. She was about to deliver the killing blow to a broken and seemingly defeated Hiten, when he began to laugh. "What the fuck are you laughing at!"

Hiten simply grinned with feral delight, and that's when it dawned on Pai that this fight was simply a diversion.

"Oh shit... Damn you Hiten!" Pai sprinted home as if the devil's own hounds were snapping at her heels, the mad laughter of Hiten ringing in her ears.

Once she reached her home, she found it in ruins. "No..." she whispered to the wind. Pai searched their ransacked cave, but Shippou was no where to be found. She then spotted her husband, in his fox form, lying next to one of the many murky ponds that made up the swamp they called home. As she approached him she saw that he had been skinned, yet he was still alive. She stumbled as she walked slowly, disbelievingly, towards Wickanoll, but it was as real as the pain that had gripped her heart. Pai fell on her knees in front of Wickanoll, tears begging to course down her cheeks. She cradled him in her arms, ignoring her mate's blood as it rapidly stained her clothes.

Wickanoll looked at Pai, his eyes clouded with pain, and spoke telepathically to her. _I'm sorry. He tricked me ... came back to our home ... I tried to protect Shippou ... I'm so sorry. I'll always love you Pai. _With those final words, the man who had loved her so completely, died in her arms. She let out a cry like a wounded animal, feeling as if her heart had been ripped from her chest by the Thunder Brothers. Pai collapsed over Wickanoll, sobbing, vowing never to forgive herself for allowing the only ones she had loved with all her heart to die. /)

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**A/N: SO SAD! (sob) I can't believe I actually created such a powerful emotional scene! Wow! Anyway, review please! Ja ne!**


	8. A Passage to MiddleEarth

**Disclaimer: I own Aldrea and the plot, my friend Agarwen owns Pai, and the rest of the characters/worlds belong to their respective owners.**

**A/N: Thank you for reviewing my story, Cylon One, and I have fixed what you said was wrong. Thanks for pointing that out for me! I hope you keep reading this story for it is my pride and joy. Anyway, please read and review all you other people!

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**

"Japanese"

_thoughts_

(author notes)

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**Chapter VIII: A Passage to Middle-Earth**

"…after that, I hardened my heart against crying or ever truly falling in love again," said Pai to end her story.

Everyone listening gave a heart felt sigh.

"That was the most beautiful and depressing story I have ever heard," Kagome said between sobs.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement with Kagome's statement, except for Inuyasha and Aldrea. Inuyasha had fainted, and Aldrea was staring into space with a far away look in her eyes.

"When did those two drop off?"

Aldrea suddenly snapped back to reality, and answered Pai. "Forgive me, I was only thinking of a time when a similar experience happened to me. I had tried to kill myself countless times. Immortality is a heavy burden."

"Hey!" Kagome shouted. "You didn't tell us you were immortal!"

Aldrea twisted her mouth into a haughty grin. "I reveal what I wish to, when I wish to, and to whom I wish to."

"So when did Inuyasha faint?" Pai asked exasperatedly, trying to keep everyone on topic.

Goku was the one to reply to her question this time. "Inuyasha fainted when he heard that you had been married."

"That's a bit out of character for him," Sango remarked to herself thoughtfully.

During the entire telling of Pai's story, Miroku had been slowly inching towards Pai herself and he was now right beside her. He quickly grabbed her hands and asked his question. "Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

Pai jumped when Miroku had grabbed her hand and before he finished saying child, she had tossed him into the air. Miroku landed a good distance away, and it was a miracle that he was still conscious. Pai growled and turned beet red. "Don't you ever ask me that question again unless you have a death wish!"

Sango giggled at Miroku's misery and didn't stop until Miroku had come back limping and stood beside her.

At this moment Pai had noticed Aldrea's scars, which she had left uncovered since they had first appeared earlier. Being the dangerously curious cat demon that she was, Pai wasted no time in asking questions. "What's that on your cheek? How did you get it? When did you get it?"

Aldrea sighed. "I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you all about my scars. They were put there by a werewolf whom I had considered my friend. It is a painful experience, being betrayed by your closest friend. He was even in his right mind when he attacked me." Aldrea then bowed her head, deep in thought.

"That's just like what happened between me and Hiten," Pai commented.

Aldrea suddenly whipped her head up, and her eyes shot round like the hawk's hunting gaze. Goku soon after turned his head, searching urgently for something. Then Pai's ears perked up, detecting a sound, and Kagome sensed tainted shikon shards. Naraku was approaching!

Aldrea began shouting orders. "Quickly Goku, retrieve Inuyasha and be prepared to flee!"

Goku heaved Inuyasha up off the ground and draped his body on his back, but the hilt of the Tetsugaiga was digging into Goku's back.

"Here," offered Pai to Goku, "I'll take the sword."

"You must make haste," Aldrea reminded them. "Shippou, go with your mother. Pai, you must be ready to run as well. I am assuming you are able to fly, correct?"

"I can't fly in this form, but I can run really fast."

Aldrea shook her head. "You need to be flying now. I guess there is no other choice then to allow you to ride upon me."

Pai nodded, strapped the belt with the Tetsugaiga in its sheath to her waist, and set Shippou on her shoulder. The two dragons, Nall now in his white cat-like form, dug their claws into Pai's clothes because they weren't that fast when flying.

Aldrea then turned to Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Gohan, and Kirara. "Kirara, you must carry Sango and Miroku." The cat demon nodded. "And Kagome, both Pai and yourself must ride upon me. In regular circumstances I would not allow this, but our lives depend on speed." Aldrea transformed, allowed Pai and Kagome to clamber onto her back, then spread her wings slightly, letting them droop down the sides of her body.

Sango and Miroku set themselves upon the now large Kirara; Goku with Inuyasha, Gohan, and Kirara, all spread out. The mismatched band of travelers tensed and readied for Aldrea's signal.

Aldrea's pupils narrowed in excitement as she began to trot forward. The signal was sent and everyone except Aldrea sprung into the air. Two dark shapes began to take form before Aldrea and she quickened her gait to a slow gallop, raising and opening her wings, which were a fifty foot span. The strange shapes were closer now, and could be discerned from the smoky shadows. Aldrea's form was heading directly towards Naraku and Kanna, who had her mirror, gaining speed. Kagome gasped and Pai tightened her grip around Aldrea's waist.

Kagome started to scream hysterically, but the wind blew the sound back into her throat, as if to keep her from changing the galloping creature's doomed course. At the last possible moment, with an almost horrified look from Naraku and a blank stare from Kanna, Aldrea beat her wings and rose into the air. All at once the group plunged through an icy barrier and emerged from the black void to find them in a completely different place.

* * *

"Where are we?" Kagome ventured to ask after she had finally dared to look around.

One of Aldrea's globular, yellow eyes fixed itself on Kagome, as one of her long ears turned to listen to what Kagome said. /We have passed through a portal leading into a land beyond the knowledge of all the world history in your time. Only one man succeeded in finding the ancient records of this age. /

Kagome gaxed down in awe at the rivers, streams, forests, and mountains rippling past as if upon the back of a slow moving turtle cursed to roam. Goku, Gohan, and Kirara, moved closer to Aldrea, fearing to become lost in this strange place. Soon Aldrea began to spiral downwards, searching for a safe place to land. She settled for an area beside a small gurgling stream which emerged from an ancient forest draped with leaves from past autumns, giving it an untidy look.

As soon as they landed, everyone who was carried dropped heavily to the ground, except for Inuyasha whom Goku set gently on the grass.

Aldrea, apparently satisfied that everything was alright, began to explain about the place they were in. She seemed not to be in the mood to talk much at that moment in time. /As you have heard from me earlier, we have entered a different time and place. The records found and translated by a man named J.R.R. Tolkien tell of its history. This is the famous land of Middle-Earth. /

Everyone blinked rapidly, dumbfounded by what they had learned. Then those who had not traveled through time and space by way of passing through a portal void of anything but blackness and cold, which was everyone except for Goku, Gohan, and Aldrea, began to collapse from the weakness in their knees.

/Forgive me, I almost forgot about the side effects. /

"Side effects?" shouted Pai. "You should have told us about that earlier!"

Aldrea's eyes flashed in an angry manner. /You should think before you speak, Pai. Harsh words may lay forfeit to your life. / Aldrea turned to the rest. /For a few minuets you shall need to rest before moving your legs or walking. /

Pai snorted in disgust after everyone had shifted their bodies into more comfortable positions. Pai did the same with great reluctance.

/Now that we are all settled, I shall explain to you exactly where we are. / Aldrea swept one of her clawed hands towards the forest. /The forest here is called Fanghorn by many and the stream is called the Entwash. We are in the land of Rohan which belongs to the people of the Rohirrim, Masters of Horses. The King at this time, I believe, is King Theoden. We must travel to Edoras in order to ask for permission to journey through his lands. /

Pai scoffed and scowled. "Why should we ask for permission for something? If I want to go through someone else's land, I don't ask them, I just walk right through!"

Goku jumped up, looking down on Pai with an angry expression. "This is a King's kingdom we're talking about! Not just someone's private land!"

"So? That's never stopped me before!"

Aldrea knelt down on her fore legs, then her hind legs, and sat down, readjusting her wings. /Let her be, Goku. Pai does not know any better than what she was taught. / Aldrea had said this privately to Goku so as not to offend Pai. Goku relaxed and set himself down again.

"So, when's lunch?" asked Pai while rubbing her hands together. "I'm starving. I could even eat one of those trees over there!"

Aldrea narrowed her eyes at Pai. /Please do not change the subject, Pai. /

Pai shot her nose up in the air defiantly. "I can do as I damn well please. I wanted to change the subject, so I did!"

Now it was Aldrea's turn to explode. She began to growl low in her throat, glaring daggers at Pai. Aldrea snapped her jaws open and closed compulsively, and she swished her tail side to side in anger, leaving an indentation in the soft ground. /How dare you speak to me that way. / A hiss escaped from between her sharp, tightly barred teeth. /I do not care how you were raised, I shall dine on your head for that!. /

Goku walked up to Aldrea, it being his turn to stay calm, placed his hand gently on her scaly shoulder, and started speaking in soft tone. "Aldrea, why don't you cool yourself off by running across the plane?" He the added in a whisper, "You're begining to lose control of your evil side again."

Aldrea stood up, swung herself sharply to the right, and cantered off towards the open plane between the mountains and Fanghorn.

**A/N: I hoped you liked it! The next chapters are going to be longer and therefore it may talk a long time to get the next one up. But isn't it great that they've finally made it to Middle-Earth? I've finally got the LOTR part up! YAY! Please read and review! Ja ne! Oh, and Aldrea says Hi to all you FAITHFUL readers.**


	9. The Departure

**Disclaimer: If I owned Tolkien enterprises, Inuyasha, DBZ, or anything else besides Aldrea and the plot in this story, then I would be rich and have no need for this site. But as it is, I only own Aldrea and the plot, and my friend Agarwen owns Pai. I am using Pai with Agarwen's permission.**

**A/N: I'm afraid that things might get a little confusing in this chapter, but hang in there! I hope I get some good reviews for this one. And the reason I'm not mentioning anyone in this A/N is because I've started typing this right after putting up the last chapter. Anyway, anyway the story and please review!

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**

"Japanese"

_Thoughts_

/Thought speak/

(Author notes/ information)

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**Chapter IX: The Departure**

Pai began to gather food from everyone's pack and placed it in one that Nall had given her for a birthday present a while back. The only ones she didn't take food from were Aldrea and Miroku. Aldrea never took off her pack for anything except bathing, and Miroku usually just 'borrowed' whatever he needed from an unsuspecting RICH villager. Pai made do with food from Goku, Gohan, Kagome, and Sango's packs. She was planning on leaving the group to go explore without Aldrea bossing her around. The others had tried to persuade her to stay, but she was as stubborn as her half brother Inuyasha. Pai signaled for Shippou, Ruby, and Nall to follow her. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Wait!" Sango cried out, causing Pai to pause and turn back. "Take Kirara with you at least! Kirara, protect Shippou and the others."

Kirara hastily bounded over to the departing group to stand next to Shippou.

Pai glared at Sango. "Are you saying I can't take care of myself?"

"Of course not," Sango replied quickly. "It's just that... who will keep Shippou entertained?"

Pai contemplated this for a moment before speaking. "Okay, she can come."

"Take good care of her Pai."

"I will." Pai, Shippou, Nall, Ruby, and Kirara then started out on their own journey across Middle-Earth.

* * *

"Ugh... my head..."

A dark shape slowly sat up from its position on the ground, then tensed as it noticed a strange shadow in the midst of its friends. "Shit. Where am I?"

The still shape of the strange shadow stirred and lifted its head.

"Ack! A demon!" The dark shape, which had two small points on the top of its head that were barely noticeable, reached for its sword only to find it missing. "Fuck! Where's my sword!"

/Calm yourself, Inuyasha. You are in no danger. /

Inuyasha jumped with shock, then relaxed as he recognized who was speaking to him. "Oh, it's just you Aldrea. What happened and where's Pai?"

Aldrea turned her head and showed her teeth slightly. /She has left. / Aldrea then curled back up around Goku and closed one eye; the other roved around watchfully along with her ears.

Inuyasha nodded. "She always did like to do things by herself. By the way, where's my sword?"

/Pai took your sword for safe keeping and conveniently forgot to leave it with us before she wandered off. /

"She WHAT?" Inuyasha leaped to his feet and started to panic and pace in a circle. "Oh no, what am I going to do?" Inuyasha's voice had awoken everyone in the small camp by this time, except for Goku who kept snoring away quite peacfuly.

Kagome sat up from her sleeping bag and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "What's wrong Inuyasha?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong! I'll tell you what's wrong! Pai took the Tetsugaiga, that's what's wrong!" Inuyasha then threw himself to the ground and sniffed around for Pai's sent, not paying attention to all the other new and strange smells he was experiencing. "Ah ha! I've found it!" Inuyasha then sped off in the direction that Pai had take, heedless to anything else around him.

"Wait!" shouted Gohan. "Why are you so worried about your sword!"

Inuyasha skid to a stop, turned around, and yelled back at Gohan. "If I come close to death I'm gonna turn full demon!" He then continued his mad sprint into the night.

/Gohan, follow him. I feel that he shall need you soon. /

Gohan nodded and ran after Inuyasha, soon disappearing into the night as well.

* * *

"Damn her," muttered Inuyasha. "Why'd she have to take the Tetsugaiga now? Last time she took it, she almost lost the fucking thing!" Inuyasha grimaced and let out an extra burst of speed. "Shit, I forgot to ask Aldrea where the hell I am! Grr, I'll get Pai back for this!" Inuyasha kept running along Pai's path, cursing all the while, and not bothering to check if anyone was following him.

Gohan ran steadily after Inuyasha, being careful to stay down wind of his quarry and suppressing his aura in case there were unfavorable beings who could sense it. In this way the two lone hunters continued sprinting on through the black night.

* * *

"Kagome?" inquired Goku after he had been roused by Aldrea and the situation was explained to him. "What was the 'full demon' thing about?"

Kagome glanced up from searching her pack for a bottle of water. "Inuyasha is half human, half demon," she explained to Goku. "Man, I just can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something..." She sat back on her heels with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Something important." Kagome emptied her backpack and began taking an inventory of everything she had brought. "Let's see... water, hairbrush, hairspray-" Aldrea interrupted Kagome with a light growl. "It's environmentally safe. Um, ramen; only one package left after Pai's raid; extra clothes, some blankets, toiletries, the shikon jewel shards..." Then she began to search frantically through the pile of assorted 20th century items. "Ack! Where are they?" Kagome suddenly froze and her hand closed around a small glass bottle. She sighed with relief. "They're still here. I'll count them."

After Kagome finished counting them she shook her head with a frown and recounted the shards. "There's three missing! Pai must've taken them."

"Oh no, who knows what could happen if she has the shikon shards!" exclaimed Sango. "Pai's powers would increase too much for anyone with a brain not to notice her!"

/That is most certainly true. I can sense Pai's power increasing as she travels down the Entwash, and she has just passed the first bend in the river. / Aldrea suddenly raised her head and looked towards the place where the Entwash disappeared into the horizon.

"Is someone coming Aldrea?" asked Miroku.

/No. Pai, Shippou, and Kirara have all suddenly vanished as if they did not exist. /

"Maybe they're just too far away," replied Sango.

/I know how far my sense extend and they were not yet as far as that. / Aldrea paused, then her eyes widened with sudden realization. /Wait, I could not sense even the smallest grain of energy from the two dragons who came with Pai. Kagome, were you able to sense any dragon blood within Pai/

Kagome thought for a moment, then nodded.

/Then she must have gained the ability to change forms from her new found power!. /

At least we have Gohan and Inuyasha on Pai's trail," said Goku.

/Yes, but how shall we communicate with Gohan? He has already moved out of the range of my thoughts. / Aldrea lowered her fearsome head dejectedly while Goku stared at her pointedly. She snapped her eyes open and spun her head to face Goku. /Unless, unless... no, I cannot. It is too dangerous for both you and I. /

"Since when was anything too dangerous for Aldrea, The Terror, The Phantom Beast, The Guardian of Forests... my wife?"

Aldrea transformed, smiled, and ran up to Goku, embracing him. "What would I ever do without you, Goku?" she mumbled into his chest.

Goku lowered his head and kissed Aldrea's cheek, then whispered softly in her ear. "You won't have to worry about that." He put his hand under Aldrea's chin and lifted her eyes to look into his. "You've always told me you'd be there beside me no matter what. Now it's my turn to tell you the same thing."

Aldrea smiled, her eyes glistening in the full moon's light with unshed tears. Aldrea and Goku's lips then met in a passionate kiss.

Sango and Miroku smiled together as they looked on, both understanding how Aldrea and Goku felt for each other. Miroku placed his arm around Sango, his hand resting on her shoulder, and Sango leaned against him ever so slightly.

"So!" shouted Kagome, upsetting the magical moment between Sango and Miroku. It was clear that the moment had left Kagome feeling very depressed. "What's this dangerous thing you have to do?"

Goku turned to Kagome with Aldrea still clinging tightly to him. "Aldrea's soul must leave her body in order to find Gohan and Inuyasha. The reason for its danger is she might not be able to reenter her body. There's some people in this time with the power to lock someone's soul out of their body."

Sango and Miroku, now ten feet farther apart from each other then they were, wore identical looks of shock because of what Goku had explained. Kagome's face was ashen white and her expression was grim.

Aldrea converted back into her true form, beginning the dangerous process. She laid down and her eyelids drooped and her eyes dulled. Then her body became motionless; only the slight rise and fall of her chest every thirty seconds was to be seen.

"What just happened?" Miroku asked after a few tense moments.

Goku sat down with his legs crossed and arms folded. "Her spirit has just left."

"How is is dangerous for you, Goku?" Kagome inquired.

"When two people are married it is said that their souls become one, which is true in our world. Because of this, when Aldrea's soul leaves her body while she is still alive my own soul slowly dies along with my body until her soul comes back."

Everyone fell silent, wishing for Aldrea's speedy and safe return.

Miroku sighed and made himself as comfortable as the cold grass allowed him that night. Kagome curled up in her sleeping bag, Sango stood and walked towards Goku, intending to take the first watch.

"I'll take the watch for now," said Goku before Sango had gone two steps. She sat back down and stared at Goku, trying to detect any changes he might have gone through within the last half hour. He told her to go to sleep and Sango grudgingly obliged.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you like this one! I made a little mistake earlier. This chapter isn't the confusing one. It's the next one that's confusing! Anyway, please leave a review! Ja ne!**


	10. The Journeys

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but Aldrea and the plot. Pai belongs to Agarwen and the rest of the characters and Middle-Earth belong to their respective owners.**

**A/N: This chapter is going to be confusing because of all the different languages that are going to be spoken. Each one will be written a different way so you may want to keep referring to the language key below. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!

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_**Language Key: **_

'Dragon language'

"Multiple languages spoken at the same time" (Aldrea only)

"Japanese language"

"**Westron or Common Tongue"**

"_English, American language"_ (Rarely used)

"_Rohirrim language"_

/Thought speak. /

Elvish is written as elvish and is not used often

_Thoughts_

(Author's notes/information)

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**Chapter X: The Journeys**

Pai was traveling along the river she had forgotten the name to that came out of the forest whose name seemed to have slipped her mind as well. Pai's group had been traveling in the dark for a while when Pai stopped. "Nall, Ruby," she said suddenly. "It's time to go dragon."

Nall nodded and changed from his small cat-like form into a large white dragon that was covered with feathers and patches of scales. His wings were also feathered. Then Ruby did the same thing, but her form took on the color of bright red blood.

Pai then turned to Shippou. "Okay, it's time for you to transform now." As she said this she transformed herself into a large red-blue dragon. Shippou closed his eyes and concentrated really hard. With a poof and a small cloud of smoke Shippou had turned into a cute little green scaly dragon with black leather wings and a fluffy tail. Pai sighed and shook her head. 'I suppose it'll have to do.' She then set up an illusion around Kirara so she couldn't be seen or sensed. 'Let's go.'

They each spread their feathered wings except for Shippou and Kirara, who jumped on Pai's back. They flew up into the air and over the plane, following the swiftly flowing river. They journeyed for a day and a night with only one rest and during dusk of the next day they spotted something gold gleaming across the plane. Pai soon figured out that what they saw was a building of some sort.

'Hey, Pai,' said Ruby, 'why don't we see if the people who live in that building will let us stay with them tonight?'

'What, tired from a flight that lasts from dawn until the dusk of the next day?' Pai replied jokingly. 'You told me you were getting enough exercise.'

Ruby pouted, and then the three dragons began circling towards the ground in the orange sunset, preparing to land. As soon as their feet touched the ground Shippou asked Nall if he could transform back to his original form yet.

'I'm not sure,' replied Nall. 'Pai, do you think we're out of Aldrea's range?'

'Ruby, how many miles have we traveled?'

'About 1000 furlongs, 125 miles, and 220000 yards.'

'So, do you think we're out of Aldrea's range yet?' Nall asked again. He was beginning to become restless and kept shifting his wings.

'Stop that,' complained Pai. 'Her range, I'm guessing, is about 100 miles. So, I think... YEAH!' She then gave Nall one of those _I can't believe you're so stupid _look and switched forms.

Shippou fell to the ground and turned back to normal with a pop. "Mommy," he groaned. "I'm _starving. _Do we have any dumplings?"

"Why of course we do, sweety." Pai gave Shippou a fond look, and then screamed at Nall to give her the food pack he had carried for her. He transformed to his human form and handed Pai her pack with a quickly hidden glare.

Ruby changed into a small dragon as Pai rummaged through the bag until she found the dumplings. She gave a couple of them to Shippou who gobbled them down, asking for more. Pai put the dumplings away and shook her head. "No more for now. In a different situation I would've let you have as much as you could eat, but we need the food to last as long as possible because we don't know anything about this place."

Shippou plopped down on the ground next to Kirara and folded his arms across his chest, a sour look on his face. While he did that Pai and the two dragons began to form some sort of idea about what they were going to do next, and Kirara tried to cheer Shippou up.

"Just so you know," said Pai, "because I'm part dragon I can't understand different languages, but I can speak a language fluently once I hear enough of it."

Nall and Ruby thought hard about what they were going to do to solve Pai's dilemma. Pai absentmindedly detached Shippou from her pack as she thought too, and then Nall snapped his fingers. "I've got it!" Ruby and Pai looked intently at him. "I could tell you what they're saying and then you could answer them in the common language of this place."

"But, what _is _the common language? We don't want to look suspicious," chirped Ruby.

At that statement Nall wrinkled his brow and replied in an unconvincing tone that he knew exactly what their language was.

During the heavy silence that followed Nall's statement Shippou tugged on his mother's kimono pants and whispered something in her ear. Pai's eyes lit up and she told Nall and Ruby about Shippou's idea. "Shippou said that most guards greet strangers in their own land's language, so all we have to say is 'no speak' or 'common language' and they'll talk in it!"

With that problem solved Pai and Shippou climbed up on Kirara's now large back and flew off along the river Snowborne, which flowed from the direction of the sparkling gold building. Ruby and Nall followed while in their small forms. Before they had flown for long, they saw that the building was surrounded by a large village, which was in turn closed in by a tall wall. The entire thing sat on the slopes of a big hill with the golden domed building at the top of the hill. Kirara landed just far enough to be out of sight from anyone who might be on the wall. Pai and Shippou dismounted and Kirara became small again. Shippou hopped up onto Pai's shoulder and sighed contentedly. Nall transformed back to his human boy form so as to rouse as little suspicion as possible and Kirara jumped up onto his shoulder. Ruby could change into a human yet, so she just settled herself on Pai's head after asking if it was all right to do so.

Soon the small group reached the huge gates to the village which were watched by two guards that they could see. There was probably more than that hidden some where else. The guards gripped the spears they held with both of their hands and directed them towards the company as they came near. _"Halt! Identify yourselves."_

Pai cleared her throat and attempted to speak in their language. _"Common…speech."_

The guards nodded, but didn't loosen the hold on their spears. **"State your name and business in the Mark."**

Ruby repeated the statement to Pai from her perch on Pai's head. Pai had decided along the flight here that she would have Ruby speak to her because she was still a little mad at Nall for being so dense earlier. **"We are poor travelers wishing to ask for permission to travel through the King's lands."**

Shippou tugged at a lock of Pai's head and Pai tilted her head to listen to him. "Mommy, ask them if we can eat too."

Pai craned her neck to stare at Shippou. "You could understand what I said?"

Shippou nodded.

Nall chuckled. "Well, I guess you've inherited something your mother hasn't from the dragon blood that runs through both of your veins. By the way Pai, I thought you weren't going to ask for permission of any kind?"

Pai snarled at Nall's cheeky comment, and then answered his question through clenched teeth. "I had to tell them _something_ so they'd let us in!"

While the group was conversing amongst themselves, one of the guards had sent a messenger to the King and he had returned. After hasty words the guard turned back to the arguing bunch, cutting their argument short. **"You have been granted an audience with the King. Follow this man here to the Golden Hall." **The guard then indicated the man he had spoken with. The messenger was dressed in a green tunic with a silver horse galloping across it. After hearing the translation, Pai nodded and followed the man through the city gates with a jittery Nall close behind her. As the gates closed behind them the foreigners stood agape with awe, being able to see the Golden Hall completely for the first time. It wasn't, as they had at first thought, made entirely out of gold. Only the dome shaped roof was made with gold that shone like the sun itself. The main part of the hall was made of the finest carved wood with gold leafing here and there.

The messenger, who was now their guide, chuckled at the group's amazement, and signaled to them to keep moving through the city. The traveler's eyes never left the dome of the Golden Hall for a moment, even if they stumbled. Pai did give up after the second time she stumbled because Shippou had almost fallen off her shoulder that time. She then settled for whipping her head from left to right, trying to see all the different houses and stables at once. Shippou had decided to walk next to Pai after enduring a minuet of her frantic gazing.

As the group and guide were at the door step of the hall Nall was straining his neck to see the entire hall, but he soon ceased as their guide left them and they entered the hall alone.

If the outside was magnificent, then the inside was even more so. The walls were covered with elaborate tapestries of different battles and columns stood in two rows down the middle of the hall leading to the throne. Between the walls and columns were tables and benches which could be moved anywhere for any occasion. In the middle of the hall was a huge fire pit that would be lit on cold nights or to cook great feasts.

Pai was a little nervous as she cautiously made her way into the hall. Shippou was right next to her, clutching her leg, while Nall trembling with Kirara on his shoulder brought up the rear. One in front of the beautiful throne at the end of the hall, Pai knelt before the figure who sat in it. Nall and Shippou hastened to repeat her actions. Then Pai spoke. **"Oh great and mighty king, **(She's laying it on kind of thick, huh?) **we are but humble travelers who wish to partake in your hospitality and ask for permission to journey through your kingdom."**

Now, the King was a fairly young and majestic leader; he was as tall and stern as stone, yet a great kindness shone from his brown eyes. The only things that showed him as a king were the quality of his outfit, and the plain gold circlet that rested on his head of blond hair. **"Where are you traveling to?" **he asked kindly as he waved his hand to let Pai and Nall stand. I watched curiously as Ruby was translating what he had said to Pai.

"**We were traveling along the river that runs east across the planes, I think," **replied Pai after a moment's consideration.

The King nodded his head and examined each of the strange company with a searching gaze. **"What are your names?"**

Ruby was the one who introduced everyone. **"My name is Ruby. This is my friend Pai, and that is her son Shippou. The boy is my older brother Nall, and the cat is the pet of a friend of ours and is named Kirara."**

"**I am King Eomer, and you may all stay as guests in my hall for as long as you wish."**

Ruby (now off of Pai's shoulder and hovering), Nall, and Shippou, bowed in the traditional Japanese manner. They were followed quickly by Pai and the small Kirara. Eomer smiled and told them to follow the captain of the King's Guard, who would show them to their rooms.

* * *

Inuyasha stopped abruptly, sniffing the air vigorously. "Shit," he spat out forcefully. "She took to the air! Now how am I supposed to track her?" Inuyasha craned his neck up, down, left, and right, trying to determine which way Pai would've gone. He then spotted the Entwash as it flowed on from its bend. "If I know her then she'd follow the river till she finds food or money." Inuyasha took off through the tall grass to follow the river, while Gohan snuck unnoticed and undetected behind him.

* * *

_This is just so wonderful,_ thought Aldrea as her formless spirit floated through the night air. _I have forgotten how good it feels to be free of my earthly obstacles, but I cannot linger long._ Aldrea was beginning to catch up with Inuyasha and Gohan just as the sun raised her head over the horizon.

Inuyasha had just stopped to smell the air when Aldrea was finally able to reach Gohan. She took this time to speak with Gohan while he gathered his strength for the next mad dash into the unknown. /Gohan/ Aldrea said to him. Gohan replied in turn, asking what she needed him to do. Their conversation and Aldrea's explanations lasted through the time Inuyasha had started off again, until he had stopped for a second time in order to view a strange walled city which could be seen only by the light of its lit torches. That conversation had taken a whole day and half a night.

/I must return to my body now/ said Aldrea as a way of ending the conversation between her and Gohan. /You must try to keep Inuyasha out of trouble for as long as you are able to. /

Gohan put a hand behind his head and chuckled grimly. "It's a _bit_ too late for that." What Gohan had been referring to was the fact that Inuyasha had just been surrounded by a large group of soldiers on horseback. Inuyasha was so exhausted from running continuously for half a night, a whole day, then another half a night; he couldn't fight off the soldiers.

Aldrea shook her non-existent head and gave a mental sigh. /Well, I am afraid you must make an effort to set him free lest he harm someone before the night has ended. /

Gohan quickly hastened after Inuyasha, hiding in the shadows and behind any rocks he came across. He was able to make it in time to slip through the gates unnoticed right before they closed.

Aldrea watched Gohan until he entered the walls of the city, whose name was Edoras, and then turned back towards the way she had come, gliding along as fast as her spirit was able to.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked it and I hope it didn't confuse you too much. I can't believe how fast I've gotten this out! It's a new record for me! Please review. Ja ne!**


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